Device for receiving animal food

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for receiving animal food, especially pet food, comprising a base element ( 1 ) with a bowl-shaped cavity ( 2 ) which is used to accommodate the animal food ( 2 ) and is defined by the bottom ( 1   a ) of the base and at least one side wall ( 3 ) of the base; also comprising a bowl-shaped insert element ( 4 ) which can be introduced into the base element and which is provided with a bottom ( 5 ) which matches in an at least approximate manner the bottom element of the base, in addition to being provided with at least one side wall ( 6 ) and an upper opening ( 2 ). The base element and the insert element or a part of the wall joined to the insert part have different wall angles. As a result the insert element ( 4 ) is clamped when inserted into the base element ( 1 ).

The invention relates to a device for receiving animal food, inparticular food for domestic animals, having a bottom part which, forreceiving the animal food, has a bowl-like cavity which is bounded by abottom base and at least one bottom side wall, and having a bowl-likeinsert part which can be introduced into the bottom part and has aninsert base, which is adapted at least more or less to the bottom basepart, at least one side wall and an upper opening.

A device of this type is described in EP 0 896 790 A2.

The purpose of the known device mentioned above is to provide a devicewhich is intended for receiving animal food and, as a result of insertsin the form of disposal or single-use inserts, is easy to handle, inparticular to clean, since contamination of the bottom part is avoidedand, in this way, the device is considerably more hygienic than theknown devices for receiving animal food.

In order that the insert part is accommodated securely in the bottompart and cannot be damaged or displaced as the animal is eating, theinsert part is secured in the cavity by a separate fastening meansfollowing insertion. Somewhat disadvantageous in the case of the knowndevice mentioned above, however, is the fact that the additionalfastening device, although ensuring secure fastening of the insert partand thus considerably improving the use purpose and the handling of thedevice, constitutes a somewhat higher level of outlay.

For the further prior art, you are also referred to U.S. Pat. No.5,709,168, U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,374 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,575, whichlikewise have separate fastening means and/or fastening elements forsecuring the insert part and/or positioning the same.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,192 discloses a device with an air gap between thebase of the insert part and the base of the bottom part, the intentionbeing for the insert part to be secured in the cavity by friction.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the device of thegeneric type further, in particular to provide for straightforwardpositioning and/or fastening of the insert part in the cavity of thebottom part and straightforward connection between the insert part andthe bottom part, to be precise without additional measures or fasteningelements.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the bottomside wall and the insert side wall or one or more wall parts connectedto the insert side wall have different wall angles, at least in theinitial state, such that the insert part, once inserted into the bottompart, is retained by clamping.

The inventors have found, surprisingly, that, with different wall anglesbeing formed, it is possible for the insert part to be clamped such thatit is accommodated securely in the cavity and connected securely to thebottom part.

The different wall angles may be realized both on the inside and on theoutside.

Provision may thus be made, for example, for the insert side wall to beprovided with at least one wall part which extends downward from theupper opening along the outside of the bottom side wall, the differentwall angles being formed between the wall part and the outside of thebottom side wall.

For the sake of simplicity, reference will, be made to bottom wall partand insert wall part at all times hereinbelow. In the case where thebottom part and wall part are of circular or oval design, acircumferential wall is present. In the case of the device being ofangular configuration, e.g. of square or polygonal shape, the entireside wall is formed in each case by corresponding side-wall parts whichare predetermined by the shape of the bottom part and thus also of theinsert part.

In the case of a non-circular shape, the same applies here for theexpression “at least one wall part”, i.e., if the insert part isnon-circular and angular, a plurality of wall parts are correspondinglypresent.

Of course, in order to achieve a sufficiently pronounced clampingaction, the insert side wall or the wall part connected to the insertside wall should have corresponding elasticity.

In an advantageous configuration of the invention, provision may be madefor the at least one wall part to butt, at its lower end, against theoutside of the bottom side wall. This achieves a very high level ofclamping action.

In a further, very advantageous configuration, provision may be made forthe transition between the insert side wall and the at least one wallpart to form a bearing means on the bottom part. This additionallyprovides a defined position for the insert part.

A further increase in the clamping action and thus in stable positioningof the clamping part in the cavity is achieved if provision is made fora spacing to be provided between the inside of the at least one wallpart and the outside of the bottom side wall in the region of thetransition between the insert side wall and the at least one wall part.

This configuration makes it possible to achieve very good resilientaction for the projecting wall part or parts. In this case, optimumclamping action is achieved in the lower region or in the end region ofthe wall parts by corresponding abutment against the outside of thebottom side wall. If a material with sufficient elasticity is used forthe wall part, the object according to the invention is achievedextremely straightforwardly in the case of this configuration.

Although an extremely wide range of differences in angle are possible inpractice, in dependence on the material used for the insert part and onthe elasticity thereof, the differences in wall angle between the insertpart and the bottom part, in practice, should really be between 1° and5°, preferably between 2° and 3°.

Values below 1 mm, preferably between 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm, have been foundto be sufficient as the wall thickness for the insert part.

In a very advantageous configuration of the invention, the insert partwill be produced from recyclable material. foodstuff compatibilityshould also be ensured. Particularly suitable materials for this purposeare fibrous materials, cellulose materials and starch, e.g. potatostarch or corn starch. Examples of possible fibrous materials arepaperboard and cardboard, in which case all that is necessary is toensure that there is sufficient elasticity in order to provide theclamping action

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in principlehereinbelow with reference to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a vertical section through the device according to theinvention with the bottom part and the insert part;

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged detail of the section according to FIG. 1 inthe side-wall part;

FIG. 3 shows a further configuration of the device according to theinvention with an insert part prior to insertion into the bottom part;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 5 to 7 show different shapes for the device.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the bottom part 1 has a bottom base 1 a anda bottom side wall 3, which define a bowl-like cavity 2. The bottom part1 is of hollow design, the bottom side wall 3 being formed by an innerside-wall part 3 a and an outer side-wall part 3 b, which is spacedapart from the inner side-wall part. As can be seen, the bottom part 1is in the form of a truncated cone, the truncated cone tapering in theupward direction, while the cavity 2 widens in the upward direction

Inserted into the cavity 2 of the bottom part 1 is an insert part 4which has an insert base 5 and an encircling insert side wall 6. Theprofile of the insert base 5 and of the insert side wall 6 corresponds,in terms of angle and shape, to the bottom base 1 a and the bottom sidewall 3 a. The insert part 4 has an upper opening and likewise has acavity 2′, which is adapted to the cavity 2 of the bottom part 1. Theupper end of the insert side wall 6 is angled outwards and thus forms abearing means 7. The bearing means 7 is adjoined by a downwardlyextending wall part 8. As can be seen from the enlarged illustration ofFIG. 2, it is possible for the bearing means 7 to rest on the upper sideof the bottom part 1, as a result of which a defined bearing surface isprovided and the situation where the insert part 4 is forced out of thecavity 2, e.g. by the muzzle of an animal as it is eating, is prevented.

As can also be seen from the enlarged illustration of FIG. 2, theencircling wall part 8 has a slope or a wall angle ∝ which deviatesslightly from the wall angle of the outside wall 3 b of the bottom part1. The deviation may be approximately 2°. As can be seen, the wall angle∝ of the wall part 8 in relation to the horizontal plane 9 is smallerthan the angle of the outer bottom side wall 3 b in relation to saidplane.

If the wall part 8 is of correspondingly elastic design, this results,with an appropriate selection of diameter, in a clamping action inrelation to the outer bottom wall part 3 b at the lower end 10 of saidwall part, in which case the insert part 4 is retained securely in thecavity 2. This clamping action is further improved if, in the upperregion of the wall part 8 and/or in the region of the bearings 7, thereis a radial spacing 11 between the inside of the wall part 8 and theoutside of the outer bottom side wall 3 b. This spacing mayadvantageously be, for example, a few millimeters, e.g. 1 mm to 3 mm.

The different wall angles may be between 1° and 5°, preferably between2° and 3°.

The wall thickness of the wall part 8 and also the insert part 4 may bebelow 1 mm, preferably 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm.

It is possible for the wall part 8, in extension of the encircling sidewall 6 and of the bearing means 7, likewise to be of encircling design.However, it is, of course, also possible for just individual,circumferentially distributed wall parts 8 in the form of lugs,extending from the bearing means 7, to enclose the outer bottom sidewall 3 b on the outside in order to achieve the clamping action.

In addition to using cellulose or starch as the material for the insertpart 4, a foodstuff-compatible plastic, which should be recyclable orbiodegradable, is, of course, also possible if required

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an embodiment of the invention in which,instead of the wall part 8 engaging around the outer bottom side wall 3b, only a short bearing means 7 is provided on the upper side of theinsert part 4, said short bearing means resting on a shoulder 12 of theinner side wall 3 a of the bottom part 1. A clamping action is formedhere by different wall angles between the insert side wall and the innerbottom side wall 3 a. By virtue of the shoulder 12, on which the bearingmeans 7 rests, the insert part 4 is likewise positioned reliably in thecavity 2 of the bottom part 1.

FIG. 5 shows a rectangular shape as an alternative to the round bowlshape of the device according to FIGS. 1 to 4. A square shape is, ofcourse, also possible. In this case, four insert side-wall parts 6 and acorresponding number of bottom side-wall parts 3 are correspondinglypresent.

FIG. 6 shows a hexagonal shape of the device in plan view, six side-wallparts and, if appropriate, also six wall parts 8 correspondingly beingprovided in this case.

FIG. 7 shows a device of rounded octagonal shape, it also being the casehere that a corresponding number of side-wall parts 3 and 6 and wallparts 8 have to be provided.

1. A device for receiving animal food, in particular food for domesticanimals, having a bottom part which, for receiving the animal food, hasa bowl-like cavity which is bounded by a bottom base and a least onebottom side wall, and having a bowl-like insert part which can beintroduced into the bottom part and has an insert base, which is adaptedat least more or less to the bottom base part, at least one side walland an upper opening, wherein the bottom side wall (3) and the insertside wall (6) or one or more wall parts connected to the insert sidewall (6) have a difference in wall angles, at least in the initialstate, such that the insert part (4), once inserted into the bottom part(1), is retained by clamping; and the insert part (4) is formed fromstarch.
 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insert sidewall (6) is provided with at least one wall part (8) which extendsdownward from the upper opening along the outside of the bottom sidewall (3), the difference in wall angle being formed between the wallpart (8) and the outside of the bottom side wall (3).
 3. The device asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one wall part (8) is of atleast partially elastic design.
 4. The device as claimed in claim 2,wherein the at least one wall part (8) butts, at its lower end, againstthe outside of the bottom side wall (3).
 5. The device is claimed inclaim 2, wherein the transition between the insert side wall (6) and theat least one wall part (8) forms a bearing means (7) on the bottom part(1).
 6. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a spacing (11) isprovided between the inside of the at least one wall part (8) and theoutside of the bottom side wall (3) in the region of the transitionbetween the insert side wall (6) and the at least one wall part (8). 7.The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the difference in wall anglesis formed between the insert side wall (6) and an outside of the bottomside wall (3).
 8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the insertside wall (6) is of at least partially elastic design.
 9. The device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the difference in wall angle is between 1°and 5°.
 10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the difference inwall angle is between 2° and 3°.
 11. The device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the wall thickness of the insert part (4) and/or of the at leastone wall part (8) connected to the insert side wall (6) is less than 1mm.
 12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the wall thickness isbetween 0.4 mm and 0.6 mm.
 13. The device as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe bottom part (1) is at least more or less in the form of a truncatedcone.
 14. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom part (1)is of square, oval or polygonal shape.
 15. The device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the insert part (4) is formed from biodegradablematerial.
 16. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insert part(4) consists of cellulose material.
 17. The device as claimed in claim1, wherein the bottom side wall (3) is provided, in the upper region ofits inside, with a shoulder (12) on which the insert part (4) rests byway of a horizontal bearing means (7).
 18. The device as claimed inclaim 17, wherein the shoulder (12) is designed as an encircling annularshoulder.